May 17 (BusinessDesk) – The Productivity Commission will conduct an investigation into the impacts of technological change and disruption, and the future of work.BUDGET 2018: ProdCom tasked to investigate impacts of disruptive technology

By Pattrick Smellie

May 17 (BusinessDesk) – The Productivity Commission will conduct an investigation into the impacts of technological change and disruption, and the future of work.

The Budget announced the inquiry along with the inquiry into local government funding and financing, which Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced earlier this week.

Billed as part of the government’s desire to “invest in the productive economy”, the technological disruption inquiry will “address a range of issues to better prepare policymakers and businesses for the potential challenges” that technology may create.

“It will investigate how government policy can best support the adoption of technological change while at the same time ensuring social support and education/skills systems and regulatory settings are able to equitably manage rapid technological change.”

The inquiry will begin in the 2018/19 fiscal year, with its output likely to be used by the newly created tri-partite Future of Work Forum, involving government ministers, peak lobby group Business New Zealand, and the Council of Trade Unions.